ay sus ko!

Baby: Mommy, I want Disney Channel.
Me: Okay.

The show on Disney is 101 Dalmatians.

Me: That's a nice movie, babe.
Baby: I like Nickewodeon.
Me: Disney Channel is better. That's a funny movie with dogs.
Baby: Ay sus ko! (Hay naku! in Tagalog)

Hahaha!

worries

I am a person who tries to be practical about everything. But there are just some things that scare me and right now, a matter about the bf is bugging me. It's really serious and could put him at very high risk. Honestly, I am quite scared but I don't know what to do about it. I try to pray and hope for the best but I am still worrying whenever I think about it. My heart pounds and I am really, really freaked out. I succeed in pushing it out of my mind for a few hours but it comes back again. I am only at peace when I am with the bf because that will assure me that he is safe. 

Although I know things always work out in good time, I am only human. Fortunately, I found this from St. Paul about worrying and somehow lifts my spirit a bit:

Don't worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, make all your requests known unto God and the peace that passes all understanding will fill your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

bed weather

I stayed in bed most of the weekend. It was and still is perfect bed weather, what with the cool rains and dark clouds. What else is there to do? I alternated between reading, sleeping and watching downloaded shows. I already finished watching Suburgatory and am now halfway through Parenthood Season 3. I went out yesterday afternoon to go to the bank because my funds were running low and I had to get supplies for the baby. Then I went to Book Sale because I no longer had any books to read. The bf and I also got hot chocolate and bread for afternoon snacks but other than those outings, I was in the bedroom most of the time.

Luckily, I was still able to bike in the mornings as the rain sort of stops and goes. This morning though, the bf and I were drenched as we rode uphill. He insisted on going to an exclusive subdivision up in the mountains because apparently, the view was great. I couldn't ride my bike because it was really difficult for me so I just walked instead. It took us about ten minutes to get there and rain poured really hard. I told him I was never going to do this again-ever. I was both perspiring from my exertions and wet from the rain. Ugh! Going home was the best part, though. Going downhill does not require any effort, save for having to keep your brakes in check.

I haven't really been able to watch the weather forecast in the last three days so I don't know if all these rains are caused by a low pressure area or what. I'm not really complaining because it's nice to be snuggling and not do anything but a little sun won't be bad tomorrow. I am back to work again tomorrow and it won't be good if the weather remains bed, or bad rather. Crossing my fingers for that!

image by imageshack.us

I try to sleep early at night because I wake up early the next morning. I'm the type of person who counts the number of hours I sleep because I believe proper rest is necessary. Last night, the baby slept in my parent's bedroom because he was sick with fever. He didn't want to see me or talk to me and I was banished and told to go to my bedroom. I just watched television, frequently switching channels to find the right show. I like Rocco's Dinner Party on 2nd Avenue so I saw it. After it was finished, I changed to Lifestyle Network where Guilliana and Bill was showing. I find Bill cute so I watched for bit. I felt it was too scripted so I decided to watch AXN instead but didn't like the show. I continued flipping channels until I saw this movie on Cinema One. 

I didn't get to watch the movie from the start but I already knew what it was about. I know it's an old movie but I never really got the chance to watch it then. So I did and I alternately laughed and cried. It was a realistic enough movie and the actors were great. For me, it just proved that you only get to fulfill a bucket list if you are well of. After all, she lives in a condo, drives a Fortuner and wasn't working. I don't really know what her work was before she got sick, only that she could afford to fly off to Hong Kong on a whim. But the essence of the movie was there. That you could either fight death or learn to accept it. Rather than wallow in pity, you should embrace the remaining time you have and spend it with people that matter most to you. It made me ask myself what would I prefer?  To know I was dying so I could prepare for it or to die instantly. Up to now, I still can't decide. 

The movie ended at around 11 pm already and that meant only six hours of sleep for me. But it was okay because my time was well spent, I think.

grabbed this from Facebook and made me laugh out loud!

in pain

I am in pain. The bf and I went back to biking again because his doctor ordered him to stop running and walking. Apparently, his weight was too much for his legs/feet and actually exacerbates the pain he feels from high uric acid levels and mild arthritis.

Because of this, the bf got me a new bike yesterday and we went biking this morning. My new bike is more expensive and definitely much better than the old one in terms of riding and speed. Unfortunately, the seat sucks. It is really painful and I think my bottom is bruised. I actually wrapped a face towel in the seat but it wasn't much help. The bf was so excited to bike again that he was threatening to go again this afternoon. I had to beg off because I was really tired. I even had to take medication to make me feel better. Manny Pacquiao is right, Alaxan FR really works. Hahaha!

I'll post my new bike pics later, I'm just too tired.

pesta

I read Terry McMillan's "How Stella Got Her Groove Back". This is an old book, way back in 1995 but I only bought it this month at Book Sale. Anyway, Stella went to Jamaica where people would say pesta instead of pasta. Whatever.

Here's two versions of pesta that I cooked last week. My mom had leftover elbow macaroni and I decided to make good use of it.

The first version is creamy garlic from McCormick. It wasn't creamy nor garlicky, I'm afraid. The recipe called for a cup of fresh milk in addition to the powder but it was disappointing. The baby's yaya polished off my leftovers . = ) I used luncheon meat (because it was the only meat I could find) and added bell peppers.

The next day, I had pesta again but in the traditional sense. I used spaghetti sauce, a bit tomato sauce, ground meat and bacon with onions and bell pepper. This was delish. It was sweet, just the way I like it and filling. I made a bigger batch because I got a bigger spaghetti sauce pouch and my mom was able to save some for her midnight snack.

finally

Forever 21 has been around since forever. Hahaha! Seriously, Forever 21 wasn't like this when I was still working in the metropolis. I remember buying a tan jacket at their small boutique in Megamall, way back 2003. After 8 years or so, Forever 21 became one of the most popular brands in the country. Although it is available in the Visayas, I was unable to shop because when the bf and I would travel to Cebu, there is never enough time.

I finally got my chance last week and boy, did I get dizzy. I couldn't find anything worth buying. I don't know if it was because I was old already or because I was fat. The clothes they had just weren't that good in my opinion. All they had were racerbacks and shirts and dresses that were made of who-knows-what. And it seemed overpriced considering the design and materials the clothes were made of. It took me about an hour going through most of the stuff they had for sale until I decided on these two. I got the top because it looked cute, especially the back part. The jeans I purchased because I was planning on getting a new pair anyway and at Php555, it was a steal.

I haven't worn the top yet but the jeans were disappointing. For one, it was too manipis. It was not real denim, in my opinion, because just too light. Plus, it was loose on me. I was looking for size 29 but couldn't find any. I'll have to have it altered, I guess.

So I said to myself: it's okay if you don't get to shop at Forever 21 anytime soon because you won't find anything you like anyway. =)

life quotes

“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.”
― Robert Frost

“It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.”
― André Gide, Autumn Leaves

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

“I'm the one that's got to die when it's time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to.”
― Jimi Hendrix

“Who are you to judge the life I live?
I know I'm not perfect
-and I don't live to be-
but before you start pointing fingers...
make sure you hands are clean!”
― Bob Marley

miss piggy

Lately I've been on an eating spree. I've had several cravings of food, mostly pasta and burgers, which I have indulged in. I know it is because of my hormones (yeah right!) that is why I am happily eating anything and everything. For two straight days I ate two versions of pasta which I made myself. The first one sucked (hahaha!) but today's pasta tasted better. Not to mention the siomai and waffle and brownies, etc. etc...

Because the bf was unable to exercise yesterday, I decided to forego running as well. I slept till 7 am which meant I got 9 hours of sleep. My head was throbbing from oversleep. Before, I could sleep up to 12 hours straight but not anymore. My bedtime is at 9:30-10 in the evening and I awake at 5:30 or so the next morning. This is sufficient sleep for me already. Getting 9 hours is already too much at this point in time. But I guess I still didn't learn because I slept another 9 hours last night. We still didn't get to exercise this morning, not because of the bf, but because of bad weather. It was raining last night and it was still raining when I woke up. In fact, the bf didn't get to do much work this afternoon because we were just snuggling. The cold weather would make anyone get lazy and we were no exception.

Before I know it, I'll probably regain all the weight I lost-or not! I know I will get over this piggy phase next week. I have to or else all my effort will be for naught!

sick

I've been sick since I traveled with the bf and is the reason why I haven't blogged. Yesterday was my brother's birthday which is also another busy reason. He had two parties, one for his fellow workers and our family during lunch and dinner for his students. It was exhausting and noisy but my brother thrives on it, so whatever.

I'm feeling much better now and hopefully, I'll resume regular programming tomorrow or the next day. Sorry, folks.

one of the best

This might not look like much. But when you open this...

You'll be able to taste a bit of heaven. I swear this is one of the best tasting gelato in the world! My mouth is watering by just looking at this picture!

sinat!

After I gave birth, I had sinat. Apparently, women who have given birth were susceptible to this condition so I was no exception. Some have even died due to this (scary, right?) I was told to drink an herbal drink and take Saridon. My sinat was intermittent although there were times when I simply ignored it. Some of the time though, it was hard to as my hair was falling off in clumps and my head was painful to touch. Anyway, I got over it in due time.

Yesterday morning, I was feeling signs of sinat but chose to ignore it yet again. I figured it was nothing that Saridon couldn't cure. It wasn't the hair loss that I noticed but a certain feeling in my privates. I'm not sure how to express it other than I feel as if something is pulling it downwards and is a bit painful. The pain started to worsen last night and I took the medicine before I slept. I still did my daily exercise today except that I didn't run. I just walked for about 20 minutes and very slowly at that. One friend even noticed that I wasn't in very good condition. I just smiled and told him I wasn't feeling too well. I mean, it would be embarassing to say the real reason, noh!

I asked my sister how often should I take medication and she said every six hours. So I decided to skip work today and just relax. I am due to travel with the bf tomorrow and I don't want to be weak. Hopefully, it'll be better later.

food yet again

Last Monday, I went to the school nearby to look for grub. I was hungry and needed something to eat before dinner. My only choices were tempura and cheese sticks. I ordered both and was a bit satisfied. This morning, I asked my mom to buy lumpia wrapper because I wanted to make my own cheese sticks. I used Eden Meltsarap cheese and cut the wrappers in half. These are so good! I wish I had those peppers like the ones they used in Chicken Charlie but I had no idea what those were or where to get them!


I paired that with tacos. I decided to forego the cheese as I had cheese sticks already. That's my leftoever chili con carne, homemade salsa and guacamole and lettuce. That meal was my lunch, afternoon snacks and dinner in one. And I ate a big slice of banana cake for dessert. Delish!

sunday breakfast

Last Sunday, I didn't have my usual breakfast fare. The bf and I drove through Jollibee for our afternoon snacks Saturday afternoon but I wasn't able to eat my Jolly Hotdog because I was still full from lunch. I stuck it in the fridge and remembered about it in the morning. I didn't really like the hotdog as it is so I decided to add something to it.

I used some ground pork as we had no ground beef, made a small chili con carne out of it, added onions, tomatoes and bell pepper with bit of pork and beans.

I spread the cheese and mustard/mayo on the bread, sliced and refried the hotdog and placed chili con carne on one side. I toasted the bread for about two minutes and it was ready.

My mom already ate the accompanying fries the day before so I made my own. These are twice fried french fries with a dash of salt and pepper.

Paired with my own version of Iced Milo, I had a yummy, yummy breakfast!

poor ex

This afternoon, I went out with the bf for some errands-I know, as usual. Anyway, after it was done, he wanted to eat. We first ate dessert and then went on to buy chilli dog. At the chilli dog stand, I placed our order and went back to the pick-up truck. The bf didn't want to eat outside as it was hot and he preferred the cool confines of the cab. While waiting for our food to be ready, the bf and I talked.

Beside the stand was a bar that doubled as a poker place. I had seen my ex-boyfriend or former fiancee (not the one working overseas) here on several occasions. I was hoping he wouldn't be there that time. I was not as lucky because he went out after a few minutes. I just kept quiet and didn't mention anything to the bf. The ex looked pathetic. He was skinny, looked older and missed a tooth! Imagine that! He was only three years older than I but he aged, in my opinion. He used to be youthful when we were still together. I waited for him to get back inside but didn't. So I went down and got our food. He saw me and called my name. I pretended not to hear him and ignored his presence. He went in and called his friend. His friend pretended to call on his phone and loudly said I was looking for the ex and vice versa. I didn't pay them any notice so they went back in after that.

The bf didn't observe anything out of the ordinary. He does not really recognize the ex and will only know him if I point him out. I was happy he didn't hear my name being called because it would have been another cause for bickering-and I wouldn't be able to eat chillidogs anymore.

It made me realize how lucky I was to have gotten out of the relationship when I did. The ex never improved himself after all these years. He is still the same person and probably is even going downhill from what I can see. Besides, if I stayed with him, I wouldn't have an absolutely adorable baby boy.

scammer

I read about the Birkin Scammer online last week. I didn't really give it much attention because a) I don't belong to high society, b) I had no idea who these people were and c) scams are so normal nowadays.

But I read it again in Fashion Pulis and I got curious because there was a photo. I clicked on the link and found out the scammer's name and what she looked like. I am sorry to say that she didn't look high society at all. Without the trappings, she was just an ordinary woman. True, she was slim and tall but there was nothing striking about her at all. Even her skin didn't look that good.

When I read the story first, all I thought was: poor scammer. She must have been very insecure that she had to lie and scheme in order to fit in. I am not judging her as there are indeed people who aspire to be high and mighty even if they cannot really afford to. But what is sad is that she ruined not just herself but her whole family. She has children and a husband, after all. I'm not sure about the "unaware" husband (apparently he was supposedly into expensive suits and shoes, too!) but I think the children are innocent. If she took them all with her to the U.S. where she is purportedly hiding, then they must have been bewildered and shocked. And for sure, they will also hear of what their mother did in due time. It will hurt them very much, I think. They might even get bullied or ostracized because of her actions.

To honest, I cannot fully comprehend the need for designer stuff. If I was rich, yes I would buy them all in a heartbeat. But since I am not, I don't lust or long for it at all. I only imagine myself having one but that's all. I will not cheat or lie to people simply because I want to be one of them. (Because really, she wasn't one of them. She was a woman who worked for an art gallery who later became an industrial partner-meaning her service is her contribution/capital) Besides, I don't hang out with the rich and famous anyway. No one will care if my bag is a knockoff or brandless because it won't matter much. It's usually in the way you carry yourself and how you mix and match clothes and accessories. I'd much rather wear rags than wear clothes, shoes and bags that aren't even rightfully mine.

face the wall

I must admit, I got really lucky with the baby's yaya. She's been around since the baby was two months old and only goes home twice a year. She's totally dedicated to him and I think that's good. My sister, on the other hand, does not have the same luck. She's been through four or five yayas to date and none of them stuck around long enough. Right now, she's between household help so her son is often left here with us. Her son is exuberant and hyper and noisy and the baby is sometimes irritated with him. After a few hours, they end up fighting. The baby is not a naughty boy but he often hits his cousin. I don't know what causes it, only that he does.

This morning, I had gone out with the bf. When I got back, my mom was telling my nephew to stay in the room and not go to the baby. I asked why and she said the baby hit him with garter strips. I don't know where he got the garter but my nephew was crying. I spanked the baby and asked him to face the wall and turned off the television. He lasted for about two minutes and went on to spank me. He knew I was mad at him so he cried. He said he didn't like his cousin that's why he hit him. He lay on the bed and asked for his yaya. After a few minutes, his cousin came to the bedroom and they apologized to each other. Then they played together.

I understand that kids will always be bickering and fighting but I will only allow if it's with good reason. Not simply because they don't like each other. Oh well, if the baby keeps this us, he'll end up facing the wall a for a very long time.

no power

Yesterday was supposed to be my lazy Sunday. It never happened because for eight solid hours, there was no electricity. We didn't know there was going to be a power interruption, but apparently it scheduled and announced to the public. I plugged my computer too late and so I couldn't continue my Suburgatory marathon. I only got to watch two episodes and then the battery warning came. I was bored out of my wits, reading was not as exciting and it was very hot. The day started out gloomy which would have been perfect. But at around 9, the sun broke out of the clouds. I decided to clean the car's windows to remove hard water stains but I stopped after 30 minutes as it was very tiring.

After lunch, I chatted with my mom and siblings then I took a nap. I opened up my bedroom windows and just closed my eyes. I succeeded for about 30 minutes until my phone rang. My uncle wanted me to go to his house. So I went and I was asked to buy strips for his glucometer. His assistant didn't know if the one available at the store would match simply because she did not bring the machine with her. Stupid, I know. I bought the stuff, went home and proceeded to put avocado mask in my hair. For good measure, I put on a face mask as well. I left it on to dry then took a long shower. When I got out of the bathroom I saw my phone had 6 messages in the inbox. I figured it was the bf and it was. He wanted me to email someone and was surprised why I didn't reply at once. By that time, the power had returned so I was able to do what he asked right away. We didn't go to the mall for our usual outing because my brother went to the party and the baby had gone there earlier.

That was my lazy Sunday which turned out to be not so lazy after all. We couldn't go to the beach or pool because funds were at a minimum. Hahaha!

feeling young

Imagine that! I'm happy to be at least 3 years younger than my real age...

I took this test one night, after reading Topaz Horizon's blog entry. She was older than her actual age. She's 33 and her real age is apparently 41. By the way, the test can be quite long- I almost gave up but decided to push through. Luckily I did because the result was positive.

italian resto

This pasta came from a newly opened cafe in our place. This is the absolutely delicious fettucine alfredo. The only problem was that the serving was too big so I had to bring home my leftoevers. This dish had no meat- only cheese but it was to die for, I swear.

I heated the leftoever and added bacon. It was wrong of me to do so as the bacon had too much oil. But it was still delicious and the pasta was still firm.

my dinner

Because my life is boring, I am always posting about food. Hahaha! I mean really, what do I have to say when my life is not that exciting?

This is my dinner today. That's cream of chicken with egg, leftover hawaiian pizza and adobong kangkong. I was still full from the snacks I had this afternoon so I didn't want to eat rice. The kangkong is a very good source of fiber and I love eating this too. The leftoever pizza was from last Sunday when we ate out at a Mexican restaurant. (I know pizza in a Mexican restaurant, but whatever!) Cream of chicken soup was half of a packet that I cooked a couple of weeks ago. It was delicious. I just added carrots and green onions with hard boiled egg slices. I had a very good dinner!

Sorry for the lousy picture, I just used my phone and yes that's my bedspread. I really need to buy a dinner tray!

korean chicken

I am always in the Banawe area whenever the bf and I travel. However, we usually eat at places he loves. Since the both of us don't have similar food tastes, I always have to give in. It's okay some of the time. But when I get tired of the restaurants he chooses, I opt to go for takeaway. I was finally able to try Chicken Charlie in Banawe. I once a read a review in the newspaper about this place and I decided to give it a try. Too bad that it wasn't what I expected. It was crunchy but a bit lacking in taste. The dynamite cheese sticks were really good though, even the bf approved. But I didn't get to take a picture as we demolished it right away.

This is my version of Korean fried chicken. I bought McCormick Korean Chicken mix (Spicy) and chicken wings. It was really good although the sauce was a bit too sweet. But what surprised me was the heat. It was really, really spicy and I was sweating buckets while eating this. I swear! I had to drink orange juice if only to counter the burning in my mouth. I intend to cook this again but next time, I'm going for the Kimchi version.

sugar rush

My bloodline has a history of diabetes. This applies to both sides of the family, thus there is a risk of me having diabetes. My maternal grandmother died due to complications of diabetes while my father's cousin died of it as well. But so far, there has been no real threat yet. The only time I had a problem with blood sugar levels was when I was pregnant. But after that, my blood sugar returned to its normal levels. I used to keep on checking regularly until we ran out of testing strips.

This morning, I was at my uncle's house to return his car. We used it yesterday because it was raining and the baby and I only drove the motorcyle over. I hadn't had a drop of water or any food since last night and so I decided to check my blood sugar. The result was 57. That was quite low compared to the standard 75 to 100. I was shocked because last April, I was at 85. But I guess it was also partly because I had a light dinner. I only had two slices of thin crust pizza and three pieces of siomai.

I'm glad my sugar levels are okay, the bf has 104 and has to watch his sugar intake. My mom, on the other hand, has a very high level at 228. Although she had breakfast before she took it, still it's high. Her usual level was around 120. She is now banned from ice cream, chocolate and sweets which are her weaknesses.

back home

I got home yesterday at around 2pm. I was exhausted to the bone because I lacked decent sleep the night before and my back was troubling me due to the extremely cold temperature in the hotel room. I had a late lunch and proceeded to take a nap. When I awoke, my body was in pain. I was thinking of getting a massage but I still had to go to my uncle's house and do grocery shopping. Besides, the weather was bad late in the afternoon and rained steadily until evening. I didn't want to go anywhere. All I wanted to do was curl up in bed. But I did both errands but decided to postpone the massage due to bad weather. I slept at around 10pm and woke up at 6. Since I still wanted to sleep, I snuck in an additional hour of dreaming.

Now, I am back to work. Normal life has resumed and will continue to do so until our next trip. There is no scheduled trip yet so it could either be next week or next month.